Behind the Scenes
by Zapple
Summary: Help is at hand for Amane's newest plan.


New story, yay! :D No character tag for Amane, boo! :(

Anyway... enjoy!

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Amane let out a heavy sigh. "Where is he? I've looked everywhere and still no sign of him." The kimono-clad man hung his head in defeat. "There were supposed to be many actors along with the young vigilante coming to this area but I have yet to find any." He stopped pacing and sighed a second time.

How hard could it be to find the boy he was looking for? A machine that he was fond of always accompanied him, meaning he should have at least stood out to some people. That was what Amane had hoped anyway. Out of all the people he had asked, none of them had seen anyone matching his description. Either the rumors he had heard were false or the boy was good at hiding himself from the masses.

"Even if that is the case, I cannot let my audience down! This show will be my masterpiece!" There was no sign that Amane had ever been disappointed. He had perked up instantly and begun his search once more.

After he had finished asking his questions to another person who could not give the answer he wanted, the performer's attention was immediately caught when a woman walked past him. In the brief moment she had been next to him, Amane could almost feel something different.

"_Maybe she is one of my actors from the other hierarchical city" _he thought. _"She may know the whereabouts of my vigilante and if not, she can at least give me a vague idea of his location. Only one way to find out!" _Lifting his kimono so it would not drag on the ground, Amane ran as fast as his sandals would allow him to so he could catch up.

"Miss~!" His yell drew some glances from the onlookers but currently they were not the performer's concern. His target however didn't appear to react. One hand was brought up to her chin, looking to be in deep thought. As he was about to pass her, Amane performed a graceful leap to intercept and prevent the woman from walking further. The woman was visibly startled by his sudden appearance and took a step back.

In a fluid motion upon landing, Amane stood and withdrew a fan from his kimono, brushing it open to gesture to her. "Hello there. I do believe you can help me Miss."

"U-uh, maybe but who are you?" The woman had recovered from the initial shock of the performer's entrance though she still remained confused as to who he was and why he felt the need to jump in her way.

"Ah, I was correct. You are not from here and do not know who I am." Amane snapped his fan shut and swept into a bow. "I am Amane Nishiki, a stage performer. Who might you be?"

"My name is Litchi Faye-Ling." She let herself relax after Amane's introduction. Surprises and other such things were not what she was in the mood for. Fortunately, she could tell that he didn't mean any harm. "I'm from Kagutsuchi so you'll have to forgive me for not knowing you."

"No problem at all Miss Faye-Ling. Kagutsuchi is merely an area I haven't branched out to yet. But I digress." Amane slipped his fan back into his sleeve. "Will you hear out my request?"

"I'd be glad to help you if I can and please, just Litchi is fine." She saw nothing wrong with listening for a few moments to see if she could help him.

"Wonderful!" The performer clapped his hands together. "Now, I'm looking for someone, a boy to be precise. He has blond hair, blue eyes, glasses and is followed by a particular machine. You wouldn't happen to have seen him would you?"

Litchi was surprised to hear the description, wondering how this man she had just met knew Carl. She was more concerned about the reason why he was looking for Carl however. After a pause, she replied. "I know who you're talking about but unfortunately I don't know exactly where he is."

Amane stroked his chin. "Hmm, so I'm on the right track at least. Could you provide me with his name for future reference?"

"Before I answer anything else, I'd like to know why you're looking for him." Litchi couldn't help but become suspicious. With all that Carl had gone through already, she didn't want to put him in any potential danger.

"Oh my apologies, I should have explained." The performer withdrew his hand into his sleeve and covered his mouth briefly. "The boy is exactly what I'm looking for to join my troupe!"

"I… see." She didn't feel that anything else needed to be said but in any case, there was nothing wrong with what he was asking. Amane was an odd man but as far as she could see, he would only be a slight inconvenience to Carl but nothing more. If he declined, it shouldn't affect either of them too much "His name is Carl Clover. I can't say that he'll accept your offer but you could try at the very least."

"That I shall. Thank you very much Litchi!" Amane grabbed one of Litchi's hands and shook it excitedly. When he let go, his hand reached for the fan in his sleeve and tapped it against his chin. "But before I depart, there is something else I'd like to ask you. Something you said has been bothering me for a short while."

"And what would that be?" Litchi tilted her head, bemused. She wasn't sure what he was referring to.

"I recall you mentioning that you were a doctor in Kagutsuchi, yet here you are in Ikaruga." Litchi flinched. She knew what was coming next. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you decide to take your leave from your patients and come all the way to Ikaruga. I trust it is something of importance, yes?"

There was no immediate answer. He had no idea how much it had hurt her to hear those words. Litchi considered her options. There were so many things she could have said but few that she wanted to say. "It's complicated." Her response was quiet and the simplest she could think of and even then, the words stung.

Amane took note of Litchi's eyes while she had been thinking of an answer. She had avoided looking at anything but the ground and he could see sorrow and remorse pass through her eyes. 'Complicated' appeared to be the best way to describe it without going into detail.

"I see." Amane slipped his fan into his sleeve again and gave a deep bow. "I must apologize, I didn't mean to upset you."

Litchi shook her head. "It's okay, I can't blame you for asking. I'm looking for someone myself. I'm not proud of what I've done-"

"And stop there." Amane help up a hand in front of Litchi's face to stop her. "You don't need to explain yourself especially when it makes you look so sad. I will ask no more about it but I'm sure you're doing your best for your friend and your patients will understand."

Litchi couldn't help but smile. Amane's words were ones she had desperately wanted to hear since her decision. Even if he didn't know of her situation, his encouragement was more than welcome.

"Ah, there's that smile again!" Amane looked delighted at Litchi's expression. "You look much prettier when you're smiling."

"Thank you Amane. You're very kind" Litchi giggled. A faint blush passed over her face.

"No need to thank me. I'm an entertainer! It's my job to make even a temporary audience happy." Amane reached into his other sleeve and pulled out his parasol. "Well Litchi, it has been a pleasure to talk to you but I think it is time for me to continue my quest."

"Do you mind if I ask you something before you leave?" Litchi smiled to herself, thinking her question was silly but she felt she had to ask.

"Not at all, ask away!"

"Could you tell me where you got that kimono? It's very beautiful and I'd love to own one myself."

"Why, thank you! You are a woman of exquisite taste I see." The performer couldn't contain the excitement in his voice. "I made this kimono myself so unfortunately it isn't on sale. I have similar ones as other stage costumes so I cannot part with those at this point. You simply must come to watch one of my shows when I return to my schedule. Maybe then I can arrange something for you."

Litchi smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome." Amane opened his parasol and held it over his shoulder. "I wish you luck in your endeavors and now I must bid you adieu." With a twirl of his parasol, he marched away.

"What a strange man." Litchi chuckled and continued on her way.

The performer tilted his umbrella and turned to watch Litchi walk away. _"I certainly hope you know what you're doing with the power of the Boundary, Litchi. Hmhmhm, these actors just became all the more fun." _Amane faced forwards once more, humming a tune to himself as he went.


End file.
